The Waking World
by SoraGirl
Summary: Danny Phantom Danny's up against a new ghost, and this one has the power to make nightmares real. But somewhere in the struggle, Sam gets hurt, and Danny's worse nightmare becomes a reality. eventually DS Please R&R :D! COMPLETE!
1. Finding Out

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Danny Phantom. Sadly, I _do_ own the story.

Authors Note: Okay, the first chapter of this fic is more like a prologue, I didn't really want to write it, but I had to set up the story, so it kind of rather sucks. As the story progresses, plot might potentially decrease and D/S shipping will increase _dramatically_ until the last few chapters when you can have both an awesome plot and amazing amounts of D/S shipping. As I said, the first chapters not really much to judge on, so what for chapter 2, which should be posted pretty soon :) 

Now read! ^_^

Chapter 1

"And if he thinks he can fail _me _because _I_ was putting to use my _constitutionally_ guaranteed freedoms, well then _he_ has another thing coming to him!"  Samantha Manson raged, stabbing fiercely at her lettuce.

"Sam…you didn't just refuse to dissect the frog, you released them all over the school…along with every other animal in the science lab," Danny reminded her awkwardly.

"So?!" Sam yelled in outrage, giving him a frustrated look, "Come on Danny! They were all going to die! I _had_ to set them free! So now, because _I_ was an individual, because _I_ didn't mindless accept "tradition", because _I_ stood up for something, _I'm_ going to fail Biology! That shows you _exactly_ what high school is trying to teach-"

"So Danny," Tucker finally interrupted, knowing Sam could continue like that for hours, "Any new ghost sightings?" 

Sam shot a piercing glance at Tucker. "Fine! Fine! Don't listen! No one ever listens to the visionaries! You'll see…you'll _all_ see."

Danny hid a smile, as strange as his friends could sometimes act…he wouldn't trade them for the world. However, he _could_ understand Tucker's irritation, Sam did tend to get a bit carried away sometimes, but that was only because she was always so passionate about her ideas. If she believed in something, she was ready to fight for it. It was one of things Danny loved about her. 

"…_anyway_…" Tucker said, looking questioningly at Sam and then turning back to Danny. "Spot any specters?" 

Danny considered this question for a moment before answering. Last night…he had had a nightmare. That in itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary, after all, he was a boy that spent the majority of his spare time hunting ghosts…he was bound to have a few nightmares. But this, it was different from any other nightmare he had had before…it felt _too_ real. He was watching a ghost exit the portal…except, it hadn't really been a ghost. It had been more like a black mist. It hadn't attacked anything, nothing had died, but he still, he had woke up screaming. 

He decided against telling Tucker and Sam…after all, it was just a nightmare, nothing to get worried about and he didn't want them to think he was a complete wuss. "None at all," he said, faking a smile.

Tucker sighed in disappointment, "Darn. I guess we're still meeting at your house for the English project after school then?"

"Yup," Danny frowned, letting his head drop down on the cold cafeteria table. "There goes our entire night…and our entire weekend…and our entire lives…" 

"Oh come on you big babies," Sam said, apparently over her fit of rage, "It won't take _that_ long."

-

"This is taking forever," Sam mumbled numbly from her place on the floor, "I'm going to die here and they'll never even find the body under all of this…" She leaned exhausted against a bare wall, library books strewn across her lap and various papers scattered around her. She surveyed the wreckage before her, her two friends sprawled out on either side of the room covered with even more books and papers. They had been working for _hours_ but still, they seemed to make no progress on Mr.Lancer's stupid English report. 

"Ugh," Tucker grunted in agreement. The room fell silent again, all of them too tired to move.

Then, there was a slight rustling of papers.  

"No…" came a distorted moan, then more rustling. 

"Danny?" Sam asked, looking over at her friend, brow furrowed in question. 

Danny lay on the floor, eyes tightly closed, tossing and turning like a mad man.

"No! No! Stop! Please!! It can't be…it… NO! **_NO!!_**" he screamed arms failing around as if to hit some invisible attacker. 

"DANNY!" Sam yelled, jumping up to shake him. "Danny! Wake up! You're having a bad dream!"

Danny awoke with a sudden jolt. He panted as he searched the room with wide fearful eyes, panning from Sam to Tucker.

He opened his mouth to explain what had happened and an icy blue gas leaked out.

Instinctively, Sam and Tucker spun around…and there, standing in front of them, was a 50 foot spider.

"WHAT THE-" Tucker yelled in horror but his sentence was cut short as the large creature stamped forward with one of its eight legs.

Danny, now standing, was cowering back against the wall, eyes glued to the spider. He was mumbling something frantically under his breath.

"Danny! Go ghost!" Sam growled at him, backing away slowly from the spider.

"I-I-" he fumbled, still staring. 

"DO IT!" Tucker yelled in terror. 

In a quick flash, Danny was on the spider. He punched it hard in the stomach, sending it flying across the room.

The spider let out a loud shriek as Danny punched again. 

"Sam, thermos!" Danny shouted, dodging a blow from Gianoromo Spider.

Samantha quickly grabbed the thermos and opened it up, anxious to see the spider gone. She pointed the blue suction directly at the spider…but nothing happened.

"It's…not working..." She hit the thermos a few times, but there was no result. She looked desperately at Danny, hoping for an explanation. 

Danny continued his onslaught on the spider until finally, it fell with a giant thud, breaking into a billion tiny pieces that flew out the room.

"What was _that_?" Tucker asked as he got up from the chair he had been cowering under.

Sam snickered. 

"Oh shut up! It was a fifty foot spider!" he grumbled.

"That was too weird," Danny said, shaking his head slightly. "My nightmare…._that_ was what was in my nightmare…and then it suddenly just appears in real life? Freaky."

"Well, it couldn't have been a ghost, right?" Tucker asked. "If it was a ghost, it would have been captured."

"But if it wasn't a ghost, then how come Danny sensed it? And how did it just appear in Danny's room?" Sam pointed out.

Tucker looked at Sam and Danny; the two shared the same identical, familiar look. He groaned.

"Oh god, please no…please not more research."

-

"I think I found something!" Sam exclaimed a few hours later. Tucker and Danny hurried over to the computer, gazing over Sam's shoulder.

"The πράγμα που πιάνει τα όνειρα…Greek for the 'Dream Catcher.' It's a ghost that feeds off fear. It's got the power to make nightmares seem real."

"Just _seem_ real?" Tucker asked. "So that spider thing didn't actual exist?"

"Well…technically, no, but it was still dangerous. The "nightmare apparitions" can still cause a lot of damage and they'll keep doing so until we can catch this guy, but I don't know where to start. There's tons of information on this site."

"If it helps…I think I know what it looks like," Danny said, nervously scratching the back on his head.

Sam swiveled her chair around to face him. "Wait a minute, you _saw_ this thing and you didn't _tell_ _us_?"

Danny looked down guiltily. "Well, yes and no…see, I had this dream last night- a nightmare actually- There was this thing- a ghost I think- but it was more like just…this dark fog…and it came out of the portal…and then, I just woke up."

"And this didn't seem…at all important to mention?" Tucker asked sarcastically. 

"How was I suppose to know it was for real!?" Danny argued in his own defense, "I just thought it was just another crazy dream!" 

"Okay, okay," Sam said, rolling her eyes at her friends' immaturity, "What's important is finding out how we can stop it. Danny, do you have any idea where we can find this thing?" 

Danny shrugged. "No, I just saw it leave the portal. I don't know where it went after that."

"Maybe we could lure it to us," Tucker suggested, "If Danny sensed it before the spider came, the thing has to be pretty close by for the 'apparition' thing to work. So one of us takes a nap, has a nightmare, boom, the apparition comes, and Sam and I distract it while you run off to find the bad guy."

Sam and Danny gawked. 

"Tucker," Sam said, mouth hanging open, "That's actually a decent plan."

"Just one problem, how do we know you'll be able to handle whatever it apparition it is we dream up?" Danny asked.

"Come on Dan-my-man! Have a little faith!" Tucker laughed, playfully pushing Danny in the shoulder. "Besides, you just have to get that sucker in thermos and we're home free."

"…I guess you're right," Danny agreed. He nodded, a little more sure. After all, it was really the only option. "Alright, we'll do it tomorrow…but not at my house. I'm going to have enough trouble explaining what happened _tonight_ to my parents."   


	2. Nightmares

Disclaimer: You know I don't own Danny Phantom, foo'. 

AN: *sqqquuueaaakkkk!!* I am overwhelmed and overjoyed by the kindness and amazingness of those who reviewed! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! I owe you my eternal soul for the happiness you have brought me! A million thousand thanks! But now, on to what you really came here for,

Chapter 2!

They had decided to meet at an old sports park near the city. The park had closed a few years earlier for renovations but had never been cleaned up. Now, the park was deserted, completely empty but for some trash and a few patches of very resilient grass. A cold wind swept over the place, causing a few crumpled papers to toss around widely. It was a picturesque place for some ghost hunting. 

The three walked in silence to the park…well, almost in silence. Tucker had been ranting for hours about some new upgrade on his palm pilot but his voice had quickly turned into some continuous, droning, background noise for the other two teens. 

Danny was far too tired and far too worried to listen to what his friend was going on and on about. He had been forced to stay up all night because the group had decided it would safest if he was the one to fall asleep. 

Tucker had been eliminated as an option because he claimed to be nightmare free and they had all feared the kind of things that could come from Sam's head. Danny was a safe bet, he had no problems having nightmares and they were the everyday, giant spider kind, not the fierce flesh-eating demon kind that Sam had. Besides, they weren't sure if this 'Dream Catcher' responded to all nightmares or only to Danny's. He was there only choice.

Being this tired before a major fight made Danny even more uncertain. He wasn't sure if Sam and Tucker realized exactly what they were going up against. This thing…it was _evil_, and not in the meat-loving lunch lady from beyond the dead way. 

It was evil in the real way, in the way that it could rip your beating heart from your body and not even flinch. It was heartless, soulless, emotionless. He had seen it for only a second and it seem to have sucked all happiness, all goodness, all certainty out of him. It was terrifying. He wasn't sure if he could take it on at all, much less in this condition. 

"Danny," Sam said, clearly concerned. She had been watching him ever since they left the house early that morning and she knew something was wrong, "Are you sure you're okay? We don't have to go through with this if you don't want to." 

He briefly considered telling her everything was fine, but he knew she'd see right though that. "I don't know Sam…I just have a really bad feeling about all of this…"

"Yeah," she agreed. "I know what you mean. Maybe we should put this off till we find some more information."

Danny wanted desperately to agree with her but instead he shook his head. "No," he said resolutely, "We should finish this now, before it gets any worse."

Sam nodded, frowning slightly. She could tell Danny was still unsure but she knew nothing she could say would change his mind. Instead, she did the only thing she could and remained walking very closely beside him, a silent promise that he wasn't alone.

When they finally reached the park, it was easy for Danny to fall asleep. The second he laid down on one of the cold metal bleachers, he was out. Tucker and Sam waited patiently for a nightmare to begin.

"No," Danny mumbled just as he had the night before. "Please no! You can't! Please! I should have…Stop! What _are_ you?! You can't! I won't…I…Please!! I..I'll do anything!! just don't…don't…"

"Danny!" Tucker yelled, shaking him violently. "Up boy! Up!" 

Danny shot up just in time for the blue gas to escape from his mouth.

"….my god," Sam whispered, staring at the black mass that had just appeared in front of them.

"It's…_him_," Danny confirmed breathlessly. 

"What?!" Tucker yelled, "You were suppose to dream about that spider or about the box ghost and you went and dreamed about this guy?!" 

"Sorry! I couldn't help it!" Danny panicked.

"_Danny_-" Sam started, not having taken her eyes off of the quickly approaching black fog.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he grimaced and then quickly flashed ghost.

"How am I suppose to fight this thing? It doesn't have limbs!"  Danny shouted frantically from the air.

As if on queue, the black fog began to mold into a faintly human shape and there _he_ was, a pitch black ghostly figure with two piercing red eyes and a gaping mouth. Before Danny could react, he had been smashed into the ground. 

"Urgh," he groaned, rubbing his head as he fought to stand up.

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam yelled, alerting him to the giant spider rushing up behind him.

"Not you again," Danny grumbled, kicking the spider hard enough to send it flying. 

"Is this another apparition thing?" Tucker asked fearfully, backing farther away.

Sam shook her head, eyes still glued to the fight. "I don't think so. This isn't like the apparitions…those were separate from the actual ghost. This is still the ghost, it's just changing forms…"

The spider hissed and slowly evaporated back into a ghost. He threw another blow at Danny, but this time Danny dodged.

The pace began to quicken as the 'Dream Catcher' morphed again. This time, his body was slowly decaying, that much was clear. Large chunks of it had gone missing, leaving room for the maggots that now crawled all over his face and arms. I

t looked as if his eyelids had been sown tightly shut years ago but the thread was now beginning to loosen, revealing two endless black holes where his eyes should have been. His mouth was gaping widely open, revealing a set of sharp, decaying teeth. He carried with him the putrid stench of rotting flesh.

Danny fell backward, coughing from the smell. "Guys," he gasped, "Thermos."

Tucker rushed forward with the thermos, pointing it directly at the decaying flesh mound. In a spilt second, he was back to his original form and swinging straight for Tucker. Tucker dropped quickly and rolled to avoid being hit and the thermos tumbled out of his reach. 

The phantom turned back towards Danny, quickly growing into what appeared to be raging dinosaur. Danny eyed the monster and then the thermos, he would have to get through him to reach it. He shot straight up in the air and continued to fight.

A second later and he was down again with the phantom quickly approaching behind him. He moved his arm to get up but it faltered beneath him and he fell back into the dirt. He had hit the ground _hard_. He was too tired. He couldn't get up. He screamed at his body to move, to do anything to get out of the way, but it was no use. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the end.

"HEY YOU!" Sam yelled desperately. She chucked a rock at the demon's head, trying to get its attention away from Danny. "Yeah you! Come over here! Get away from him!" 

He flung around quickly, phantom once again, and without any warning, grabbed Sam by the waist. 

She let out a soft "Oh," as the air was pushed out of her. 

"Sam!" Both Danny and Tucker yelled. 

The phantom clutched her tightly but the more she struggled to get out, the tighter he squeezed. She was losing air quickly and fighting hard to breath. Danny stared in disbelieve, still unable to move.

She locked her determined eyes on Danny's. "Thermos," she mouthed breathlessly, her voice coming out as little more then a whisper.

She had used her last breath. Instantly, a black flame rushed up the hand and surged into her. The flame disappeared and her body suddenly went limp. The ghost tossed her into the side of a nearby building. Her body crumpled as it slid down the wall.

"SAM!" Danny screamed and he was suddenly up, zooming straight past the monster to Sam's side.

Danny grabbed her by both arms and shook her violently. "SAM!! SAM! You have to get up!" he yelled, his voice coming closer and closer to tears. "Sam, come on, get up! Don't do this to me Sam! Come on Sam, wake up!!" 

The phantom rushed forward ready to take the oblivious Danny out in one swing.

"Not so fast!" Tucker shouted. He pointed the canister and let it rip, trapping the howling phantom inside. He quickly closed the thermos and let it drop to the ground, rushing to Danny's side. 

"Oh God Sam, no…No…please…you can't…you can't be gone…Please wake up Sam. Please," Danny whimpered, tears following down his cheeks. He was hugging his dead friend as tightly as he could, slowly rocking them both back and forth. 

Tucker shook his head, letting a few tears silently escape from his own eyes. He knelt down beside Danny and gently took one of Sam's hands in his own. The slightest movement in her wrist alerted him to something.

"Danny! She's alive! She's still got a pulse! She's still alive!" Tucker exclaimed.

Danny lifted his head, buried in Sam's shoulder, to gaze over her face. He watched closely as her neck slowly rose and fell. She was still breathing. She was still alive.

There were too many emotions for his face to express. "What do we do?" he asked Tucker blankly, still clutching his fallen friend.

"I..I don't know…" Tucker admitted shakily. His stomach lurched as he looked down at a large red stain on the sidewalk where Sam's head had rested. The back of her head must have been cut. He had seen enough episodes of ER to know how serious a deep cut to the head could be. "We get her to the hospital," he fumbled, not daring to alert Danny of the seriousness of the situation, "We get her to the hospital as fast as we can."

AN: Hehe! So anti-climatic! I know, I spent all of chapter 1 setting up a background for this new ghost character and then he gets caught in chapter 2? Suspicious, ain't it? ;) Well fear not, though the next few chapters go in a slightly different direction, you haven't seen the last of our friend the 'Dream Catcher' and it's incarnates. I've got the next two chapters finished, just have to edit and post so bear with me, they should be up soon! :D

I love you all!

Best wishes and warmest regards,

Soragirl

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make one's day. :)" 


	3. Anger and Accusations

Disclaimer: Don't own DP *sniff*

AN: *Squeak!!* Once again, thank you so much for the reviews! They make me bouncy with the joy of a thousand greasy children beasties! From here on in the chapter gets a little "darker" but not much, so no worries! :D This baby is staying PG-13. ^_^ Anyway, Enough chit-chat, now for your story! :D

(((Giant hug for all those who reviewed))) I LOVE YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! :D!

Now!

Chapter 3

"Boys," an ER nurse said, causing Danny and Tucker to jump from their seats. 

She shook her head sympathetically. "No, it might be best if you sat down for this."

Danny cast a terrified look at Tucker as the two sat back down. The nurse knelt down in front of them, a sad look in her eyes.

"You're friend is in pretty bad condition. She seemed to be pretty beaten up and suffering from acute affixation. She's gone into a coma, a very serious coma, and the doctors…well, they aren't sure if she'll make it." She paused for a response from the boy's but none came. They were both frozen in disbelief. She decided to go on,  "However…there is something you could do that might help her out."

"Anything," Danny responded automatically, ignoring the stinging tears in his eyes that had come from such heart breaking news.

"You need to tell us what _really_ happened at that park. Knowing just what injuries she sustained and how she sustained them might help us with her treatment. I think all three of us know that ghost story you told isn't the truth and I know boys your age have a hard time keeping their hormones in check. When you brought Samantha in, you did the right thing. No one's going to punish you just because you let your hormones get the best of you….If you tried to _rape_ Samantha-"

Danny flew up out of his seat, "**_WHAT!?_** TRIED TO _RAPE_ HER!? I WOULD NEVER…_WE_ WOULD NEVER…HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT- SHE'S OUR BEST FRIEND!" 

The nurse backed up a little, stunned at the boy's behavior. "Can you blame us? Two boys drag in a pretty young girl who's obviously been beaten up and make up some crazy story about a ghost? What else could we think? If you want to prove me wrong or if you want to help your friend, maybe you should think about telling us the truth. It's time to get serious boys, you're friend could _die_. I'll leave you two to think about that."

The nurse got up and Danny sank back into his chair. 

"A serious coma," he repeated as if the news had finally hit him. He wasn't sure what to do. Not sure whether to cry, or to laugh, whether to spit out lies or to tell to the truth, whether to sit quietly or whether to tear this place apart. He wished Sam was there to tell him. He wished Sam was there to walk so closely beside him he could smell her jasmine shampoo. He wished Sam was there to promise him it would all be alright and then to call him a whinny moron for worrying in the first place.

"I have to see her," he announced, getting up from his chair. 

"No Danny," Tucker told him seriously, "Not here, not now." 

"Yes _here_, yes _now_," he growled furiously. "What else are these stupid powers good for _besides_ putting my best friend in a coma?!"

"Look Danny, you freaking out the hospital staff isn't going to do Sam any good. The best-" But before Tucker could finish talking, Danny was already gone.

The ghost boy floated through room after room of critical condition patients. On any other day, he would have felt sorry for them…but today, he cared about no one, nothing, but Sam. He finally found her, laying perfectly still in a hospital bed, her hair spread out across a white pillow, heavy gauze on the back of her head. There was a tube under her nose to help her breath and countless other wires strung up to the large mechanical appliances around her. 

Danny floated down softly, turning visible as his feet touched the ground. He held one of Sam's hands gently in his own.

"Sam," he whispered, his voice cracking, "Sam…I…I don't know if you can hear me but…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. But don't worry…I'll find a way to get you back…no matter it takes, I'll get you back. You just have to keep fighting, okay? You're strong Sam…so don't give up. I'll find a way to get you out of this."

He didn't know what else to say, what other promises he could make to her. She had been awake a few hours ago…she had been awake and worried about his welfare…and now, because of it, she was lying here, not much better then dead. He had dragged her into a dangerous world and she got hurt trying to protect him from it. It really _was_ all his fault. He clutched her hand tighter and bowed his head as he felt himself began to cry.

There was a sound at the curtain and he knew he had to go. He squeezed her hand once more. "I'll  be back as soon as I can, I promise," he said and then kissed his friend clumsily on the forehead. He quickly turned ghost and floated back to the waiting room.

His parents and Tucker's had arrived, as had the Mansons. He felt a harsh tug at his heart as he watched the doctor inform the couple of their daughter's condition. Ms. Manson broke down in tears, burying her face into her husband's chest. Mr. Manson nodded bravely at each word the doctor said but allowed a few tears to stream down his face.

He turned human in the bathroom, took a deep breath, and walked out the door. The second his mother spotted him she rushed over to him and submerged him in a large hug. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry," she whispered, stroking his hair. 

He nodded and tried to force a reassuring smile. His mother pulled him over to the large group of people, which now included the Mansons. "I'm so sorry," was all he could manage to say. He wished he could have taken it back. He wished he could have said something, anything else. He wished he could have said something that actually meant _something_.  Everyone was so sorry but it didn't make a damn bit of a difference.

Ms. Manson smiled shakily at him, her eyes still full of tears.  "Thank you for bringing her…and for staying with her." She turned to address the whole group. "Thank you all. The doctors said we probably won't be allowed to see her until tomorrow morning. I think it would be best if you all went home and got some rest. We appreciate everything you've done for us…for Sam." 

The adults nodded and said the kind of things they were supposed to say at a time like this. The mothers exchanged hugs and told the family to call if they could do anything to help. The fathers exchanged hearty handshakes and goodlucks. Tucker muttered another "I'm so sorry" and Danny remained silent. He was too tired. He was too numb to even protest when his father lifted him up and carried him home.

-

Danny didn't sleep at all that night. He lay silently in his bed, eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of him, trying to make himself forget all that had happened. His family was mostly silent the next day. If the nurse had told them the story they had given, then his parents made no mention of it. Jazz hadn't even tried to diagnose the problems this trauma would eventually lead to. She had simply hugged him and promised him everything would be alright.

But nothing would be alright, nothing _could_ be alright, not until Sam was awake again. As soon as his parents accepted the fact that Danny wouldn't eat breakfast, he asked them to take him to the hospital. They had agreed hesitantly, but they had agreed.

"Hi, I'm Danny Fenton. I'm here to see Samantha Manson," he told the nurse at the front desk. 

The girl smiled politely and gazed down at her clipboard. "I'm sorry…her family is in with her right now. Let me just send a nurse down there and I'll tell them that you're here."

Danny nodded, not knowing what else he could do. He sat back down with his parents in the waiting room. "She's going to tell the Mansons I'm here," he told them.

They waited for a few moments before both Mr. and Mrs. Manson came through the double doors. 

Danny rose automatically, anxious to see Sam. "How is she?" he asked them.

Mrs. Manson frowned, "There's been no change, but she's stable…for now."

"Can I see her?" It wasn't actually a question; Danny just didn't want to wait for them to offer.

Mrs. Manson looked sadly at Mr.Manson as if asking him to supply the words she couldn't find. "I'm sorry Danny but you can't…Samantha had to get these injuries from somewhere…you and Tucker were the last ones she was with, the ones who brought her in. There's something you're not telling us. You won't be allowed near my daughter until I hear the truth."

"We told you the truth!" Danny cried, outraged, innocent blue eyes looking over them in shock. "You don't actually believe them do you!? You don't think that we tried to- How could you believe that?! Mrs. Manson, please don't say you believe it! I would _never_ hurt Sam! You know that!"

Mrs. Manson turned away, crying lightly. "I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't want to believe it Danny, but what other option is there? Why can't you just tell us this truth instead of all of crazy ghost business?" 

"Now wait just a minute! If my son says your daughter was attacked by a ghost, then by God, that is what happened!" Jack Fenton said, stepping in front of Danny as if that would at all shield him from the horror of the situation. 

"My daughter was attacked by _your_ son!" Mr. Manson growled. 

"Fred!" Maddie gasped, "How dare you jump to such a conclusion! You _know_ Danny would-" 

"How dare _you_ defend him! Our daughter is in a _coma_ because of him! You should be finding out why he did what he did instead of mindlessly accepting his cockamamie stories!"

Danny had had enough. As the adults continued to argue, he slipped away to find Sam.

Samantha had been moved out of the ER and into the critical wing for long term patients. She was in a dull room with white walls and white sheets. As he silently turned visible, he regretted not bringing some flowers for her to brighten up the place. 

Two plastic chairs were placed close to the bed for Mr. and Mrs. Manson. He took a seat in one, hoping they wouldn't be back anytime soon.

"Hey," he smiled at his friend, lacing his own fingers through hers. "I told you I'd be back. You should have seen the mess I made out there."

He laughed a little, wishing Sam could laugh too. He hoped she could at least hear him. "They think…they think we attacked you. Yeah, I know, crazy isn't it? They won't let me see you anymore until I tell them the 'truth'. Well, we told them the truth. They don't want the truth, they can't accept it. They just want us to say what _they_ want to hear."

He laughed again, "Jeeze, I sound just like you! I know if you were awake, you'd smack me for that. Don't worry though; they can't stop me from seeing you. I'm half boy, half ghost, after all. And I'm _not_ going to leave you Sam. I'm not going to shut up until you come back to me, you got it? So you better get back here fast, alright? Before I get Tucker in here to talk about his palm pilot."

His eyes were beginning to water. Sam knew. Sam knew he was hiding again. She always knew. "Alright, you got me…The truth is, I'm terrified Sam. I'm terrified you'll never get out of this. Is that wrong of me? I think it is. I think it's like saying I've lost faith in you to pull through this. But you've got to make it, because I'm not going to make it without you." 

"I don't know how much longer I've got here. Our parents our out in the lobby fighting…its pointless though. Neither side can win. There's so much to tell you. I've got so much to say and I don't know if you're listening. I can't do this without you. Where _are_ you Sam?"

He fell silent again, unsure of what to say. Just being there was enough, holding her hand was enough. He felt better, calmer, more relaxed. The two nights with no sleep began to catch up with him and now that he had the added relief of knowing Sam was safe (at least for the time being) he slowly let himself drift off. 

FLASH! There was a blood curdling scream. Sam's face flashed before him, tears streaming down her eyes. Another scream, another flash, a quivering voice, "How…how did you get here?", and then it all went black.

Danny awoke with a jolt, gasping for breath.

"I asked how you got in here," a much stronger sounding voice demanded.

His eyes darted quickly around the room until they locked on a very large male nurse.

"Uh, I…I'm…I'm Samantha's brother," he said lamely, hoping his black hair would be enough to convince the nurse of their blood relation.

"Oh," the man said regretfully, apparently buying the act without much convincing, "I'm really sorry. I was told…I'm very sorry. I'll just let you two be alone for a little while." He left the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

Danny rose almost immediately knowing that it wouldn't be long before that nurse mentioned to the Manson that their son was waiting for them. He looked somewhat fearfully at Sam, squeezed her unresponsive hand one last time, and then took to the ceilings.

It seemed he arrived back just in time.

"Honey!" his mom said as soon as she had spotted him. "We were looking everywhere for you…the Manson thought you'd tried to get back there."

She noticed that his face was the same dull, unfeeling, still it had been since Sam was put in the hospital. 

She wrapped a comforting arm and then drew him into a tight embrace. "Oh Danny," she whispered, "I'm so sorry that things happened like this. You have to understand, the Mansons are dealing with a lot of pain right now…they aren't thinking clearly. I'm sure they'll realize the truth soon enough."

"The truth?" Danny snickered painfully, turning away from his mother. "The truth?! That a _ghost_ attacked her? Yeah, they're gonna believe that _real_ soon. You know, I'm not even sure if _I_ believe it. Maybe I made it all up! Maybe I've gone crazy! Maybe they're right! Maybe I did attack Sam!"

"Danny," his mother said, voice still soothing, regardless of Danny's own risen tone, "I know that's not true, and so do you. We just have to make the Mansons realize it too."

Danny went silent, slightly ashamed. "Let's just go," he said. Suddenly, he just wanted to be home.

AN: Oooh drama ;) hehe. Anyway, the way I see it, we've got about…4 chapters left, all of which are pretty long.  I've written up to the very last chapter but what I've done is an _extremely_ rough draft so it'll take me some time to edit and post but the next chapter should probably be up by the end of the week, if not earlier :) And don't worry, this won't be the cut-and-dry girl-goes-in-coma-then-wakes-up-and-falls-in-love. I'm hoping it'll be at least a _little_ bit more interesting then that ;D 

So stay tuned! ^_^

Best wishes, warmest regards, and lots of love,

Soragirl

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make ones day."


	4. Control

AN: *SQUEAK!* Your reviews fill me with joy and happiness and fuzzy goodness all over!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I love you! :D Be forewarned that this chapter be prreettttyy fluffy but it's the last fluffy chapter before the good stuff! Woohoo! All you romance seekers should and all you action seekers could possibly enjoy the next chapter ;) Anyway! Once again, I love and thank you immensely!! *HUG!* Now for the fic!

Are you ready for…

Chapter 4

Tucker shook his head, pacing slightly.  "Unbelievable," he growled. Danny had just informed him of his ordeal at the hospital.

"Tell me about it," Danny sighed, plopping down on Tucker's bed. "What are we going to do?"

"What _can_ we do?" Tucker asked rhetorically, a defeated frown broadcasted on his face.

Danny shrugged, laying out backwards in the bed, hoping to prevent Tucker from seeing his slowly forming tears. "We can show them. We can show them we're not lying. I'll show them my powers and then they'll _have_ to do believe us."

"No," Tucker said firmly. "That's the last thing you'll do. Your parents find out about your powers and we'll have a whole new problem on our hands. We can't deal with that right now."

"Can't deal with it?!" Danny shouted. "_We _can't deal with it!? What does it matter what _we_ can deal with. Sam's in a coma. Sam might DIE, and all you're worried about is what might cause _you _some petty inconvenience?! God- you don't care about Sam at all, do you?! You'd probabl-"

"Of course I care about Sam!" Tucker cut in angrily, having had just about enough of Danny's continuously fluctuating attitude. "I'm her best friend too you know. It seems you've been forgetting that lately. You're the only one that's worried about her, I'm just the only one thinking clearly. You reveal your powers; your parents will either lock you up to do experiments or lock you up until they can find a cure. Either way, you'll have even less of a chance seeing Sam and we'll have even less of a chance of helping her. Besides…if she…if she doesn't make it…she'd want us to keep fighting. The last thing she would ever want is for you to lose your powers or to be tested on and looked at like you're some kind of a freak."

Danny went silent, head hung. He had acted like an ass. He should have thought things through; he should never have accused Tucker like that. But he couldn't help it. His emotions were going haywire; he wasn't acting like himself anymore.

"Maybe we can make up a different story…a reason for lying…" Tucker suggested weakly, realizing that Sam wouldn't want _them_ fighting either.

"Like what?" Danny asked in a tone that bordered patronizing. Why was he relying on Tucker to make the plans? Hadn't his plan gotten Sam hurt in the first place? No, no. He was accusing again. He was trying to blame someone for what was _his_ fault, trying to put the guilt on someone else.

Tucker pondered his question for a second. "…Maybe we could…we could say it was some…bad guy…and we didn't want to say anything because we were afraid they'd get us too."

"No," Danny said, slowly shaking his head and allowing his mind to mull over the situation, "No. We could say…we could say we were all on the roof top of the Jansen Building and Sam had been looking over the edge and toppled over. When we first came in, we didn't tell the truth because we thought they might arrest us for breaking into the building and after that, we afraid we'd get in trouble for lying."

"Do you really think they'd buy it?" Tucker asked, fairly uncertain.

"Maybe. Remember the last time our parents found out we were up there? They threatened us with in an inch of our lives if we ever even _thought_ about going up there again. The Manson would understand why we'd be afraid to tell the truth."

"I guess it's worth a shot," Tucker agreed solemnly. They were making up lies. They were digging themselves deeper into a hole, grasping at the faint glimmer of hope that they might be able to see their comatose friend. It was nothing to be glad about.

There was an awkward silence between the two teens. What was there to say at a time like this? It felt wrong to make jokes; it felt wrong to be happy; it felt wrong to focus on anything else but what was happening to Sam.

"Are you going to go?...To school tomorrow, I mean?" Tucker finally asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if I can," Danny admitted. "How about you?"

"I'm not sure either," Tucker said, "…it'll seem wrong…without her there…you know? But maybe it would help get our minds off of it. We wouldn't have to think about it 24/7."

Danny didn't want to agree, but he saw some truth in his argument. "…Maybe...but I'm still not sure."

Tucker knew Danny deciding to go to school on his own was highly unlikely, so he decided to help out. "I really think I need to go, but I don't know if I can handle it by myself. Would you come too?"

Danny didn't need anymore convincing. "Yeah, alright, I'll go."

-

His usual morning tasks seemed frivolous today. He dully slipped on a familiar pair of pants and tugged his shirt over his head, further ruffling his already ruffled hair. None of his homework was done, but he didn't care. He hadn't even attempted it. How was he supposed to care about cosigns and vectors when his best friend was in intensive care?

His parents were ecstatic to see him trump down the stairs wearing both a book bag and a frown. Jazz had held an inquisition. 

"Danny, are you sure you're ready? You don't have to go if you don't want to. I know how this effecting you, you don't have to try and play it off like this. These things can have a serious effect on-"

"I'm fine," he stated blankly and unconvincingly. 

Jazz frowned, knowing for once that it was time to back off. "Alright. If it's really what you want to do, come on, I'll drive you."

If he had had it in him, he probably would have smiled a thanks to Jazz. Maybe she knew just how hard the bus ride would be without Sam. The bus would undoubtedly stop at her house, as it always did…and when she didn't come, Bertha, their driver, would probably honk the horn. The empty stop would break Danny's heart. When Sam still didn't appear, she would call him up to the front.

"Fenon'!" She would yell with her heavy southern accent. "Wahere dat guurlfreuind a' uuurs?" 

For once, he wouldn't object, he wouldn't try to explain she was just his friend. He wouldn't say anything at all. What _could_ he say? He couldn't tell her the truth, no, she didn't deserve it. What would she do with the truth? Perhaps she would utter some insincere words of sympathy before going about her normal life. Maybe she would chat about it casually with the other drivers; maybe she would make some cruel joke; maybe she would think it was better Sam then her. No, Danny wouldn't let _any_ of those things happen. Sam deserved better then that.

Yes, he had avoided that scene by driving to school with Jazz but he was sure there were more to come. He decided that no one should know what really happened. When they asked him, if they asked him, he would tell them she had a cold. It was as simple as that.

Jazz pulled into her usual spot on in the student parking lot and shut off the still humming engine. Automatically, Danny clicked open his seat belt and began to open the car door. Jazz grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Danny," she said. Her eyes were filled with honest concern. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine," he told her, again, no more convincing this time then the 300 times before.

She frowned, slightly upset her brother refused to tell her the truth. "Okay…But Danny, if it gets too much for you, just come and get me and I'll drive you home. Deal?"

He nodded.

"I love you Danny," she reminded him, emerging him in a giant hug.

He hugged back weakly and then exited the car, heading directly to the spot where he knew Tucker would be waiting.

"Hey," Tucker said, sounded slightly anxious. "I was afraid you weren't gonna show. Jazz take you to school?"

"Yeah."

Tucker opened his mouth to say something like "Well, at least there's one perk to this whole thing" but quickly shut it again. Danny was obviously not in the mood for humor. Instead, Tucker stayed uncharacteristically silent as the two walked to their first class.

Light chatter filled the classroom until at last, the bell rung. The announcements boomed on the intercom. Moment of silence, pledge of allegiance, drama club fundraisers due to Ms. Sherman, Yearbook could be picked up in the guidance office, it was all the usual business until the very end. "Have a great day," Josh Beckett, Senior Class President, announced. A slight ruffling could be heard over the intercom and then an unfamiliar voice picked up.

"Principle Heartman," Tucker whispered to Danny as soon as they heard the voice.

"Good morning students. Some of you may have noticed the absence of your school mate, Samantha Manson."

A few students looked towards Samantha's empty seat, only now realizing it was empty.

"About two days ago, Ms. Manson had a very serious accident and was brought to the Hannahgrove Medical Center. Ms. Manson's injuries were extremely severe, sending her into a deep coma. The doctors are unsure whether Samantha will be able to pull through. We ask you all to keep you in your thoughts and prayers and hope for a speedy recovery. Because of the seriousness of the situation, any friends of Ms. Manson who feel particularly affected will be excused from class if they wish to speak to the guidance counselor. Thank you."

The class erupted in speech. Thankfully, Danny couldn't really make anything out. "That's enough!" Mr. Lancer growled. His face refused to reveal any emotions. "We have work to do. Fenton, Foley, you're both free to leave."

Dash smirked somewhat but the two boys stayed put. The lesson continued and Danny tried hard to pay attention. Thankfully, Mr. Lancer never called on either of them. Danny suddenly had great deal more respect for his teacher. 

The class finally ended and Danny closed up his notebook and gathered his things. He hadn't taken any notes and he'd probably never get them. He had always copied Sam's notes when he was absent. 

The next class continued pretty much the same way, as did the class after that, all the way until lunch.

"So, you going to the hospital after school?" Tucker asked Danny, already fairly certain of the answer. 

"Yeah. I figure the Mansons'll be there and I can tell them the 'real' story. Then maybe I can see Sam without having to ghost out."

"Yeah, I was thinking I might stop by after-" Tucker started but realized Danny's attention was directed elsewhere.

"I'm glad that annoying little goth girls in a coma. Maybe like, that way, she won't talk for once!" Pauline said, joining in high pitched giggling with a nearby friend.

"Or like, even better, if she dies, then we'll never have to like, witness her horrible fashion disgrace again!" 

Before Tucker could stop him, Danny had practically flown across the cafeteria and had Pauline pinned to the wall. 

"Don't you _ever _talk about Sam like that again!" Danny growled, breathing harder as he squeezed her tighter against the wall. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" he yelled, waiting for a response from the terrified and stunned Pauline.

There was a chance he might have actually hit her, in his rage. Heck, he was angry enough to kill her. But a strong hand pulled him back and tossed him to the ground. 

"Aww look, Fenton's defending his vegetable girlfriend, how sweet!" Dash mocked, grinning maliciously.

Danny's eyes narrowed as he struggled to get up. Dash knocked him back down.

"Now, now, there's no need to get angry! Pauline was simply saying what everyone else was thinking. That friend of yours had it coming to her. I hope she does die," he sneered, "We all do. She deserves it. That little bitch had it coming to her. She had a mouth on her…guess she won't be talking much anymore."

Danny was blinded by fury. He attacked Dash. Arms failing widely, he jumped on him, mauling him like a wild animal. Dash was too surprised to fight off the crazed Danny. He tried to fight back but it was no use. All his muscles were no match for Danny's unparalleled rage. He knocked Dash down and started to punch him repeatedly. 

The world around him was shouting, he could hear the voices, but he didn't care enough to make out what they were saying. He wasn't listening, he wasn't looking, he was giving Dash what _he_ deserved.

"Danny!" A strong voice yelled as he was literally pried off of Dash. "DANNY!"

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Danny yelled, trying to fight his way back to Dash.

"Danny! You need to calm down!" Mr. Lancer yelled, spinning Danny around to face him.

"Calm down," he said seriously. He looked into Danny's eyes with authority, commanding him to become settled.

It worked. He settled slightly and finally began to feel the aching pains in the few places Dash had hit him.

"Go to the guidance counselor immediately," Lancer commanded, letting Danny go. Danny knew not to argue but looked back once to see a bloodied and broken Dash rising from the floor.

Danny, too dazed to realize he could simply use his ghost powers to fly away from this whole mess, walked slowly and silently to the guidance counselors office.

He knocked angrily on the door.

"Hello? Hello? Anyone in there?" he asked, anxious to get this stupid thing over with.

"Hi there," a friendly voice said, opening the door. "I'm Mr. Fish. It's great to meet you. You must be Danny Fenton."

He sat down at the seat in front of the large desk, obviously intended for the student victim. "How did you know my name?" he questioned curiously, looking around at the various "inspirational" posters.

"Mr. Lancer called about the incident in the cafeteria. I figured you'd be sent my way. I understand you were very good friends with Ms. Mason. I'm so sorry about what happened."

"Yeah," Danny grumbled, sick and tired of hearing everyone apologizing for what was _his_ fault.

"Do you want to explain what happened today at lunch?" Mr.Fish asked, though it clearly wasn't an option to refuse.

"Nothing. Dash just got on my nerves. That's all," Danny lied. 

"Oh really? Just got on your nerves? Danny, Dash is a 250 pound football player, you're well…_not_. I've checked your record, no previous fights, just a few incidents of indecent exposure. Surely something must have caused you to get _that_ angry?"

"He was talking…about Sam…saying that she deserved to be in a coma…that the school would be better off if she was dead…" Danny admitted, making sure to avoid eye contact with Mr.Fish.

"I understand Danny. You must care _very_ deeply about Samantha," Mr. Fish told him.

"Yeah, well, we've been best friends forever," Danny explained.

"Just friends?" Mr. Fish questioned in a tone that sounded unconvinced.  "It sounds to me like she might mean a lot more to you then that."

"Look," Danny said, trying to keep control of his temper. "Sam is _not_ my girlfriend, despite what everyone may say."

"I didn't say she was," Mr. Fish pointed out. He smiled mischievously, "I simply implied you might want her to be."  

Danny blushed slightly; _did_ he want Sam as a girlfriend? "It doesn't matter either way," he resolved, shaking his head firmly, irritated with this man's questioning. "Sam's in the hospital, Sam _might die_. What difference does it make how I feel about her?"

Mr. Fish gave a slight shrug. "It makes a difference to you. You have to believe that Samantha's going to pull out of this Danny. I've encountered Ms. Manson on only a few occasions, but it's _painfully_ clear that she's not the type to give up without a fight."

Danny smiled inwardly. It was true. 

"For now, I think you should head home," Fish instructed, "I'm not sure you're really ready to be back here just yet. Get some rest; you look like you need it."

Danny nodded, not knowing what else to do and turned to leave the room.

"Danny," Mr. Fish smiled slightly, "Sam would have been proud."

-

"We just…we didn't want to get in trouble…Everything was going so fast and we didn't know how bad Sam was hurt…so we just made up the story about the ghost. Afterwards, when we things slowed down and we realized how badly Sam got hurt…we were afraid to say we lied  because we knew how serious the situation was…but please, it was a stupid mistake, we just really scared, we're just kids after all…please don't keep us from Sam because of it. I'm so sorry," he said, just as he had rehearsed it.

Ms.Manson smiled, giving Danny a sudden hug. "You all shouldn't have been up there…but I'm glad you finally told us the truth. You're welcome to see her."

Danny nodded, glad the plan had worked but sad he had had to lie. He followed Ms.Manson into Samantha's room. "I think I'll go get some lunch," she said, her obvious purpose to give Danny some time alone.

Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bouquet of flowers he had picked on his way there. "I know it's not much," he told her. "But I figured this place could use a little brightening up."

He put the flowers down on the bedside table and sat down in his usual plastic chair. "I don't know what's going on Sam," he said honestly. "I beat up Dash today." He smiled a little, knowing how much his friend would have loved to see that. "…I lost control. I just…attacked him, without even thinking. See, things like that keep happening lately…I haven't been myself since you've been gone."

He fell silent again. Where was he going with this? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if he should continue…but he did.

"I got sent to guidance afterwards. I talked to Mr.Fish…he thinks he'll pull through. He…he…thought that I..uh…wanted us to be _more_ then friends." He laughed awkwardly, gazing at Sam, who continued to lay perfectly still. "I…well…I don't know…I thought maybe…maybe he could be right, you know?"

He looked at her again, still no response.  _Duh, she's in a coma, you moron_, bit a voice in the back of his head. 

"It's just… I miss you like crazy Sam. You're all that I can think about anymore. I can't get you out of my head. I guess that's why they say you never know what you've got until you lose it…but I don't want to lose you Sam…you've _got_ _to_ make it through this," he said, his voice quivering as he came closer and closer to tears. 

"You've _got_ _to_ make it through this because…because I can't make it without you…because…because…well…I'm not sure what this feeling is but, god, I think I may…I think I may…I think I may be in love with you." 

His eyes opened widely, _what_ had just come out of his mouth?! _Love?!__ **Love?!**_Had he just used the word love?! He was too young to be in love! He'd never even kissed a girl! What was going on?! It was like something was possessing him. He had lost control of his thoughts, his actions, and his sanity.

"Sam…" he whispered as he drew nearer, he felt a tear roll down his check, "Sam…please wake up…" He leaned over and kissed his friend gently on the lips. A sudden blow knocked him to his feet.

He looked up to see Sam towering over him.

"DANNY!?" 

Oh-no.

More AN! ;): Cliffhanger, baby! ;) Well, I warned you it was going to be disgustingly fluffy, didn't I? ;) Traditionally, I've been against using the word "love" in fics with teenagers seeing how it is so horribly overused by them but I figured this was an extreme case and with the "serious of the situation", "I kinda like-like you" didn't seem appropriate ^_- Anyway, the next chapter should be up…probably by the end of the weekend, maybe Monday or Tuesday at latest. :D If you have a chance, review! ^_^

Best wishes, warmest regards, and lots of love,

Soragirl

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make ones day?"


	5. Mind Games

AN: WOOOHOO!! Thanks for the reviews, once again! *Bows before reviewers amazing greatness* But now, without any further ado, 

Chapter 5!

"DANNY!! I thought you…it doesn't matter. Get up Danny! We have to run! GET UP!!" Samantha screamed, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed frantically at Danny's arm, trying to lift him up.

"Sam! You're awake! You're awake! How did you-" Danny fumbled, staring at Sam, fighting to get up.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" she whimpered, looking fearfully behind her as she continued to drag Danny along, clutching desperately to his hand.

"Sam, _what_ is going on?!" Danny asked in utter confusion as he surveyed the scene around him. It was like no place he'd ever seen before. Like some sort of Dr. Seuss book gone horribly wrong, strange and frightening objects poked out from the rocky and dreary scenery. It definitely wasn't the hospital.

"Chasing us…" Sam panted, still running, pushing back bizarre shrubbery as she went. "Something…chasing us. It….It got you and Tucker…I watched it kill you…How did you-?" 

"Okay…and that doesn't answer my question. Where are we?! How did we get here?!" Danny asked again. 

"Look," Sam bit back as if she expended any of her breath talking instead of running they would be caught. "I'm just as confused as you are…I thought you- no…we'll figure this out later, _now_ we have to run."

Danny nodded, unable to find the breath for words. He was scared and confused but he knew no matter what world this was, Sam was awake, Sam was alive, and that was all that mattered.

So they ran and ran until finally they reached a cliff. Danny screeched to a stop and turned too make sure Sam had done the same. But Sam wasn't there…and neither was the cliff. His demon-Seuss surroundings dissolved around him and had been replaced by something vaguely familiar.

School, that was it, it looked like school except…much darker as if whoever had painted it only had dark purples, blacks, and grays on their canvas. He looked around curiously and noticed large metal bars over the windows and doors. What _was_ this? Was this some bizarre image of the future?

He looked to the center of the room, instead of desks, the students stood in one large circle closing in on some unseen center. Still curious, Danny squeezed his way through the thick lines of bodies to whatever was in the middle. "LOSER!" Someone yelled. "FREAK!" yelled another. Danny froze. Maybe this _was_ some kind of twisted future. Maybe _this_ is what happened when they found out about his powers. Maybe _he_ was what was in the center of the circle. At this, he quickened his pace, ignoring the continuous jeers from the crowd until he finally broke through. 

A crumbled figure kneeled in the center with their hands over their ears. The figure was crying heavily, the slender frame shaking with every breath.

"SAM!" Danny yelled. He rushed over to his friend and fell to her side.

"Danny?" she whispered. As she lifted her face, Danny saw it was bruised and bleeding. Her scared eyes searched his for an answer. "But-But…"

Her eyes darted over to someone in the crowd whom Danny hadn't noticed before…It was…him.

"The freak said your name!" Tucker, who stood beside Danny, jeered.

"Tucker!?" Danny shouted but he didn't respond. In fact, no one in the circle did so much as twitch at his scream. Only Sam turned back toward, looking even more distressed then before.

"Stupid bitch," satanic Danny laughed maliciously, "Look at her! Not only was she crazy enough to believe we were her friends but now she's talking to herself too!"

"Please…" Sam whimpered.

"Sam, I-" Danny started but was interrupted.

"Please what, you goth loser?" the other Danny sneered. "Ooohh pwweeaassee Danny," he mimicked, "I…thought you like…liked me for the pathetic piece of crap I am. I'm in individual!" 

With this, the crowd broke out in laughter and Sam cowered into an even smaller ball.

"Yeah right!" he continued. "Like I could _ever_ like someone like you. Look at you! You're horrible! You're an ugly, wretched waste of space. The world would be a better place if you were never even born!"

"Sam! I don't know what's going on here but that's not me. I don't hate you. I would never say those things. You know that," Danny reassured her quickly, putting his arm on her shoulder.

She jumped back quickly, her eyes darting back and forth between the two Danny's. "No," she whispered. "No, you're not real. You hate me. I don't believe you. You hate me and so does everybody else. YOU HATE ME! YOU HATE ME! YOU HATE ME!" As loud as she was screaming, her voice began to fade and the suddenly, the scene changed again.

"Well, what I mean is-" Sam stumbled, obviously trying to get out something that was hard to say. 

An impatient looking Danny sat across from her as she nervously played with a wrapper from a straw. 

"Well we've been friends for a long time and I just…I think maybe…you mean a little more to me then that…and its okay if you don't feel the same way! I just…"

The Danny sitting across from reached over and put his hand on top of hers. "That's cute Sam, really, but I just don't feel the same way. I could never think of you as any more then a friend. You're so…you. You're not like the dating type. You're more like…a guy really, or a little sister. You're not like Paulina." He dazed out a little at the word and on queue, Paulina appeared.

"Like, ready Danny?" she asked.

Danny nodded. "Sorry kiddo," he told Sam insincerely and then left. Sam sat by herself and watched in horror as Danny and Paulina kissed.

Danny made a quick move towards the table, ready to cease the opportunity to figure this crazy place out before he was thrown somewhere else. But of course, he was too late, and instead of his surroundings morphing into new ones, they simply disappeared all together and were replaced by a sort of…infinite darkness.

"Hello?" he said weakly, looking around and seeing absolutely nothing. No light, no sky, no ground. He looked in front of him once more. Not surprisingly, there was Sam.

"Sam," he said, his exhaustion clear in his voice and his appearance. Whatever this place was, it was far too crazy for him and he was _more_ then ready to go home. 

Sam looked up, taking a second to fully absorb the figure before her.

"How did you get here? I...I thought I was all alone?"

Danny looked around at the surrounding blankness. "Well, I see where you could get that idea. But Sam, _quickly_, what the hell is going on?" 

"What do you mean?" she asked in a mixture of anger and confusion. "What are you doing here? Who _are_ you?"

Danny stepped back in surprise. "Who am I? Sam, I'm Danny. Danny, your best friend since preschool Danny?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "No. You're wrong. I've never had any friends. I've always been alone."

"How could you say that!? How could you even think that? Sam-come on, we have to go…this place…it's doing something to you- it's doing something to both of us." He reached for his friends hand. She jumped back in fear.

Danny kneeled down beside her, concern in his eyes. "Sam, you _aren't_ alone. You'll never be alone. You'll always have me," he whispered and linked his hand with hers.

Her soft violet eyes gazed questioningly into his soft blue ones. 

FLASH! The surrounding changed again. He saw the familiar white walls of a hospital.

"SAM?!" He gasped loudly. Somehow his eyes where still focused on hers and he could see the reflection of the hospital room. Suddenly, there was darkness again. Black, then white, black, then white. Flashing back and forth from whatever place he and Sam had been stuck in to the hospital.

"Danny!"  someone cried out. "DANNY! **DANNY!**" 

There was one last violent flash before Danny jolted up.

"He's awake!" someone cried out. 

"Danny, Danny, can you hear me? Danny, answer me!" 

"Sam?" Danny asked weakly. 

"Dude, it's me," Tucker said, leaning over him looking concerned.

"SAMANTHA!" Ms. Manson wailed, clutching her daughter's limp hand. "Sam, baby, no! Come back! Samantha!"

"What's going on?!" Danny asked for the hundredth time.

"You must have passed out man. We came in here and you were knocked on the floor. We kept trying to wake you up but you wouldn't. Then Sam, she must of come out of it for a minute, because her eyes opened up and started darting around. You woke up a second later and she was out again."

Danny let the gears in his head slowly process.

"It was her mind Tucker. I was in Sam's head."

AN: Okie dookie! ;) I know that was a short chapter but I'm just working on getting things out quickly for everyone :D Hope you liked it! Chapter 6 should be up relatively soon!

Best wishes, warmest regards, and lots of love,

Soragirl

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make ones day."


	6. Saving Sam

AN: *SQUEAK!* Hurray!!! *faints with happiness* I am both overwhelmed and overjoyed with the kindness of all those who have reviewed. I love you. I love you, I love you!  THANKS! I co*HUUUG TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED* and a new Danny Phantom section on FFN (Not to mention the upcoming Friends finale and Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour! ;D) Could it get any better!? I think not! :D Thank you, thank you, thank yoooouu! And oh, happy happy day! :D NOW CHAPTER 6! Woosh!

Chapter 6

"Have you found anything?!" Danny asked, indescribably anxious as he paced around the room.

"Will you cut it out already!? You've been asking me that for the last hour and a half! Shut up and maybe I'll be able to do this faster!" Tucker growled back, indescribably irritated. He continued typing furiously on the computer, trying to locate the information he was searching for. He shook his head slightly. He knew he was no good at this. Sam was usually the one who did the research.

He clicked on a small purple link to "Possible Side Effects" with little hope. In all honesty, from the start of this quest, Tucker was sure they would find nothing. He was positive that Danny had dreamed it all from a lack of sleep, from wanting be able to do something to help Sam when he knew he couldn't. He had agreed to help only to calm his friend. He hadn't expected to find anything.

But sometimes, things happen when you least expect them.

"I…I found it…I found it!" Tucker fumbled, eyes wide open. "I FOUND IT!"

His eyes swept over the text on the page. "It's all here Danny. You were right! You were _right_!"

"I knew it! What can we do?! How do we help?" He asked anxiously, leaning over Tucker to get a clear view.

"I'm not sure…" Tucker mumbled as he continued reading. Danny watched as his friend clicked a few more buttons and then spoke again.

"Apparently, when that ghost had Sam it sort of well, took control of her…infected her with something. _That's_ why she's stuck in the coma…not because she got hurt, but because she's lost in some kind of nightmare."

"So what do we do?" Danny asked desperately. They were so close the answer he couldn't bare it.

"Uh…" Tucker said nervously, "Well, I'm not exactly sure." He continued clicking around. "…it doesn't say."

"It doesn't say?!" Danny asked angrily. "What good is any of this if it doesn't tell us how to get Sam back?! They've got to have it on there somewhere!"

"Here," Tucker said quietly, "You look." 

He scooted out of the chair and allowed Danny to sit down. He leaned over him silently but was doubtful he would find anything. The site had said nothing about anyone ever coming out of one of these things.

Danny began clicking more furiously. "Where is it?!" he yelled.

The clicking stopped for a moment and Danny's eyes skimmed over the page. 

"Theory speculates that if a victim can overcome these nightmares, he or she will awaken. However, this is merely speculation as no such case has ever been recorded," Danny read. 

"Danny," Tucker started, knowing that this information could build Danny's false hopes, "If no other case has been recorded in over two thousand years…the chances of Sam getting out of this are-"

"Good," Danny interrupted, "Because in two thousand years there's never been another halfa and in two thousand years there's never been _anyone_ like Sam." 

-

"So it was your powers that let you do it?" Tucker asked skeptically as the two stood in the hospital, looking over Sam's bed.

"I don't know for sure. I think so, I mean, what else could it be?" Danny questioned.

"But you didn't disappear. When you take over someone, you go invisible. But you were still here, lying on the floor," Tucker pointed out. He still wasn't entirely sure that Danny didn't just dream the whole thing up. 

"Maybe it is something else. When I was there I didn't have my powers anymore. Well, at least I think I didn't. Sam could see and hear me but nobody else could," he said. His voice wandered off as he considered why it was exactly that he was able to get into her mind but he quickly shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter how I can do it. All that matters is getting Sam back."

For once, Tucker agreed. "Alright, well, how did you do it the first time?"

Danny blushed, suddenly remembering how the whole thing had gotten started. Still, he was certain there was another way. After all, he was pretty sure that when he had dazed out holding Sam's hand the weird flashes he had seen were actually pictures of Sam's nightmares.

"I'm not sure," Danny lied, still blushing. "Let me try this."

He sat down in the plastic chair and held Sam's cold hand gently in between his own. He closed his eyes and silenced all thoughts except for the one pounding need to help his friend.

FLASH! He heard a soft, haunting melody of a children's tune playing in the background. The room had gotten infinitely darker and if not for the faint light from the moon, Danny wouldn't have been able to see at all. 

He heard a muffled sound and looked over to a large bed. Underneath the bundles of red covers, there was a small lump that seemed to be shaking. 

He walked over and sat on the mattress. He put his hand quietly on the lump and felt it jump. He gently pulled the covers down.

The figure scampered over to the wall, pushing herself against it and breathing hard. "Go away!" the squeaky voice yelled.

Danny had to keep himself from smiling. The girl was Samantha. A tiny, 5 year old Samantha with her jet black hair in tiny pig tails wearing a frilly purple night gown. She was terrified, but clearly ready to attack if she needed to.

"It's okay, I'm-" he paused. If he said he was Danny, it might confuse the little girl even more. "I'm Doug. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

'Doug's' soft tone and genuine eyes had convinced the girl, her tense body seemed to relax a little and she scooted away from the wall.

"I'm Sammy," the little girl said, nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's a pretty name," Danny smiled. "So Sammy, what's got you so scared?" 

Her eyes darted towards a closed door. "It's the closet monster," she whimpered. "He's coming to get me."

On queue, there was a loud rumbling from the closet and a low growl. Little Sam squeaked and threw her arms around Danny, burying her head in his chest.

Danny blushed, not exactly knowing how to comfort a child afraid of a monster in her closet when the monster was really there. He squeezed her gently and ran a comforting hand over her hair. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.

"Doug?" she asked. Danny remained silent for a moment before realizing she was talking to him.

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Are you my guardian angel?" she asked quietly. 

Danny smiled and laughed awkwardly. "I guess so," he told her knowing that would be an easier explanation then the real answer."

"And you'll stay with me? You won't be like Mommy and Daddy and leave me here all alone? You'll protect me? You'll take care of me?"

"Of course," he smiled, "After all, that _is_ my job."

Samantha grinned brightly and the whole room lighted up. Literally. 

The increasing light forced him to shield his eyes. When he moved his hand away, it was dark.

He urged his feet to move forward but they were stuck in something. He tried to lift them up but whatever they were stuck in was heavy.

"SAM!" he cried out, knowing she was there somewhere. 

"Danny?" a voice whimpered from somewhere nearby.

He forced his legs to muck through whatever it was surrounding them. As he drew closer he felt some sort of liquid soaking through his sneakers, socks, and pants. He grimaced at a familiar smell of metal. What _was_ this place? No, that didn't matter, he had to find Sam.

"SAM!?" he called again but it was unnecessary. He had found her. 

"My _god_ Sam, what _happened_?" he asked in horror. His best friend looked down at the bodies piled around her, at the blood stained all over her clothing, face, and hands.

"I killed them," she told him, eyes on the verge of tears. "I killed them all."

He gathered the strength to look to the floor and felt himself dry heave. They were bodies. He was standing in bodies, trudging through them, and the liquid seeping into his clothing was blood.

Animals, humans, different races, different sexes all blended into one horrifying mass grave and Sam in the middle, covered in their blood.

"_Why_?" was all he could croak out. He clutched his stomach, fairly certain he was going to vomit.

"I couldn't save them," she whispered, looking at the bodies in front of her and the bloody dagger on her lap. "I killed them. I killed them all."

He opened his mouth to speak but felt his stomach acting up again. He shook his head, unable to find words to help the situation. Her eyes met his and she silently asked him for an answer.

He didn't have one.

The scene flashed again. He heard the quiet sound of rain hitting a window covering up the dull roar of the engine. He was in a car, and of course, Sam was driving. He remained silent, not wanting to upset his friend to where she might lose control of the car and send them flying off the road. But it was pointless and he should have known. A while back, Sam's aunt had gotten into a car crash and flown off a bridge to her doom. Sam had been afraid of suffering the same fate ever since.

He knew what he had to do.

He quickly rolled down the windows. Sam, noticing the spontaneous window movement, looked beside her. 

"DANNY!" she screeched, letting go of the wheel. The car swerved and made a loud screeching noise. Danny ignored it all and reached for Sam's seatbelt, quickly unbuckling hers and his own. Sam ignored him and screamed as the car plummeted over the bridge. They hit the water fast and it began to pour into the car almost instantaneously. 

"Take a deep breath!" Danny yelled just as the water reached his mouth. He had grabbed the stunned Sam's hand and quickly kicked his way to the top. He was blinded by the need to survive and he didn't stop kicking until the reached the shore.

Sam climbed weakly onto the grass, coughing up water. Danny, even more exhausted, fell down beside her, closing his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.  

"We made it," Sam said, shocked. "We made it. We actually made it!" She laughed, smiling widely.

Another flash of white light and he was dry. 

"DANNY!!" A familiar voice screamed out.

He flinched as he watched himself plummet into the ground, head first, from a ghost's deadly blow. Sam had rushed to his side. 

"DANNY!" she screamed again, clutching him desperately as he had once done for her. He was dead and she screamed and cried and wailed and he bled all over her.

"DANNY!" she continued to howl. Danny approached her cautiously.

"Sam," he said gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She looked him over.

"You're…alive?"

"It would appear so."

She laughed, throwing her arms around her friend.

The world started flashing again but this time, an echoing voice ran through his head.

"Danny! Danny! If you can hear me, its Tucker. You've got to hurry up man, the Mansons should be back any second!"

Danny stored this information in the back of his head and used his immediate attention to focus on where he was. For once, the setting was tranquil. There was no overshadowing darkness, no terrifying landscapes, no malformed objects. He was in the middle of a quiet country side, filled with pine trees, mountains, and lakes and on a small hill sat a lonely little log cabin that looked as if it could be blown away with one large gust of wind.

Danny knew automatically that was where Sam would be, but he wondered what exactly was so nightmarish about a place like this. He walked slowly up into the cabin, knowing he would soon find out.

And there she lay, an old, crippled woman in her 90's. Her brittle gray hair was short and thin, barely covering her wrinkled skull. Her body was sickeningly thin, so much so that you could see the outline of every arthritic bone in her body. She wheezed more then breathed, each rasping breath shaking her fragile frame.

But he had no time for shock or for sadness, this wasn't the real Sam, it was the real Sam he had to save. "Samantha," he said in order to catch her attention.

The old eyes struggled to open. She lifted her weak eyelids just enough to see a narrow picture of the boy standing before her.

"Who are you?" her cragged voice whispered accusingly.

"I'm Danny Fenton," he said impatiently. He could feel time slipping away with him no closer to his goal. _Alright, so she's afraid of getting old_, he automatically assumed. "Look," he launched off immediately, "Okay, yes, you're going to get old but that's no big deal. Everyone gets old eventually and you've lived a good, full life, right? That's all that's important. So, er…be happy?"

"Danny Fenton," the woman repeated dreamily, "Yes, I remember you, but just barely. You see, Danny, that is where you're wrong. I didn't live a good, full life at all." Her eyes met with his. Her face gave off a painful mix of laughter and tears.

"Don't you see, Danny? My life meant nothing. My death means nothing. My existence on this world was meaningless. I didn't make a difference. Not one out of the millions of people alive will mourn my death or even notice that I'm gone. I wanted to be something so badly. I wanted to change the world. I wanted to be a one woman revolution but I was nothing. I was the norm. I wasn't special and now, I will die, having wasted all my chances to be such. I will die as I have lived, worthless and alone."

"You're not worthless Sam and you're not alone either," Danny responded quickly. He sat down determinedly beside her, his eyes set seriously on hers. "This isn't real. This future isn't real. You _will_ make a difference Sam, because you already have. Come on, you have to realize how far off base this is. Something like this would never happen but it could be much worse if you don't fight this. I know it's hard to believe…but this is all just a bad bad dream, this whole place is just a nightmare. But you can win Sam, you can win if you fight it. Promise me Sam, promise you'll fight for me." His eyes were watering now, this was his final, desperate attempt and he was praying that she believed him.

"Yes," she responded easily, shocking Danny. She smiled, "I will fight."

The world flashed again and he was back in the hospital. 

"Sorry man," Tucker said, seeing the distressed look on his friends face, "I had no choice. The Mansons are in the lobby."

Without answering, Danny jumped up to stand beside Sam. He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes.

FLASH! A little Sam straightened out her purple nightgown and walked bravely to the closet door. She took one deep breath and threw open the door. Out jumped a tiny yellow kitty. She smiled.

FLASH! Samantha stood up amid the carnage. She trudged her way to a nearby stream and washed her hands in the water. "It's not my fault."

FLASH!  "Need a ride?" asked a man from a passing car. The soaking girl smiled brightly. "Sure could."

FLASH! She grabbed the thermos, pointed, and the ghost was out. "Uh," Danny groaned from the ground, rubbing his head as his eyes began to open. "Major headache."

FLASH! Samantha turned around suddenly. "I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU! COME AND GET ME, WHATEVER YOU ARE!" And nothing came.

FLASH! "Like I care what you morons think," she growled and pushed her way through the stunned faces in the circle. 

FLASH! "Oops?" she smiled innocently as she 'spilled' her soda on Paulina's cashmere sweater. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Paulina screeched, hoping around like a lunatic. Sam smiled even wider and Danny broke into hysterics.

FLASH! "I'm not alone." A light switched on. She walked away.

A thousand more scenes flashed before Danny, all of nightmares Sam was stuck in, all of nightmares she had overcome. They seemed to on forever until finally-

"I fought," smiled the old woman. "I made a difference."

Danny gasped and stumbled backwards, letting go of Sam's hand.

Sam coughed violently as a black smoke escaped from her lips. 

The coughing and the smoke subsided.

"Woah, I just had the _weirdest _dream."

AN: Hurray! :D Sam's awake! I kind of feel I rushed through the whole "nightmare world" idea, bunching it all into two chapters, but I didn't want to get _too_ repetitive and I could already see myself repeating a lot of the themes in the nightmares so, I cut it short and ended it here. ^_^  I'm thinking that that the next chapter is going to be the LAST chapter (dun dun dun nuh!) but I've yet to finish it, so it might take me a little while to get it out. Be patient! :D

Best wishes, warmest regards, and lots of love,

Soragirl

"Have you hugged an author today? Write a review and make ones day!"

*Dances around happily!!!* Thanks to all of you who reviewed, my days have been made for the next year!!!! :DD!!!


	7. Epilogue

AN: tears I….I…don't have words….I…thank you …I can't even explain how absolutely overwhelmed and overjoyed your reviews have made me. I…once again…just don't have the words to thank you. Your reviews and support mean more to me then is physically possible to express. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

((((HUGS AND COOKIES FOR ALL!!!))))

Dedication: To all of those who reviewed. You all have been my inspiration, motivation, and on the hard days, my reason for writing at all.  

Chapter 7

There was hugging and crying and laughing and then of course, more hugging, crying, and laughing and poor confused Sam in the middle of all of it.

The doctors said it would be best if she stayed a few more days for observation but the Mansons refused. "My baby has been here long enough," Ms.Manson said, squeezing Sam tightly.

So they had taken her home. The Mansons had allowed both Danny and Tucker to squish into the back of the car with Sam and come along for the ride. Samantha blushed as both of her friends kept assuring her how great it was that she was back.

"And Danny, man, he's been going _insane_ without you here. Did you know he beat up _Dash_? Well of course you didn't, you weren't there, duh. Stupid question," Tucker continued, mouth moving a mile a minute. He hadn't been able to stop talking since Sam had woken up.

Samantha cast a curious look at Danny, who laughed nervously and blushed. Everything had been going so fast since she had awoken, she was just beginning to piece it all together. Of course, it was hard to get her bearings with Tuckers continuous talking. Still, she didn't really care; it was good just to hear his voice.

Danny had given her his fair share of hugs and smiles, but he remained mostly silent. Every now and again she would catch him staring strangely at her. He seemed pretty shaken up. She was anxious for when her parents gave her and her two friends some time alone so she could hear the whole story.

"We're home sweetie," Ms.Manson announced happily, interrupting Tucker.

"Okay Mom," Samantha smiled, knowing how worried her mother still was. Danny hoped out first, followed by Samantha and then Tucker. Sam took one step forward and stumbled. In an instant, Danny caught her and helped her stand back up.

"Uh," she blushed, "Sorry. I guess my legs are still a little weak."

"No problem," Danny guaranteed. Sam smiled, happy to hear his voice. "Do you want me to help you to the stairs?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, thanks," she nodded. She lifted her arm around his shoulder and the two began hobbling forward.

Inside the house, things continued in such a pattern. Her mom, her dad, and Tucker continued to regale her with every _single _detail she missed while she was gone while Danny sat quietly off to the side. A little while later, Mr and Ms Manson left to call the relatives with the good news.

"So?" Sam asked at last. "Someone want to explain what _really_ happen?"

"It was the Dream Catcher," Danny spoke up from his spot on Samantha's dresser. "It infected you with something that kind of…trapped you in your own nightmares, I guess."

She nodded, "Alright…I _guess_ I can buy that. But how did I get out?"

Danny blushed, allowing Tucker to field that one. "Danny, he, well, I don't know…I guess he went inside your mind. Do you remember any of it?"

Sam shook her head. "Bits and pieces are coming back slowly. I think I'll remember it all eventually…though I'm not so sure I'll want to."

"Tucker? Danny?" Ms. Manson asked, knocking on the door.

Tucker opened the door for her.

"I called your parents to let them know where you were. They want you to start thinking about heading home before it gets dark. But we'd love to have you over tomorrow," she smiled.

"Okay," they both agreed and Ms. Manson left them to their goodbyes.

Tucker paused for a second but then conceded to giving Sam a big hug,

"You had us pretty scared there, Manson. Don't let it happen again," he joked.

"Thanks Tuck," she smiled, gladly returning his hug.

There was an awkward moment as Danny approached her, beet red.

"It's…uh…I…and…uh," he tried to say, but he couldn't find the words, instead he just hugged her tight enough to kill and she hugged back just as hard.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, right?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Definitely," they both agreed.  

-

"Sam honey!" Ms.Manson said, poking her head into her daughter's room. "Danny's here to see you."

"Alright!" Sam yelled from her bathroom, splashing her face with water one last time. She gazed into the mirror. She looked about as good as she felt.

"Uh, hey," Danny said from the door. He looked over his tired, tousled friend. "Oh man, I'm really sorry Sam, I didn't mean to wake you up, I thought you'd already be up…I can come back later." He turned around to leave.

"Wait!" Sam said louder then she had attended to. Danny whipped around to face her. She laughed slightly, seeing the worry on his face. "Wait," she said softer, "Don't go. I was already awake."

There was an awkward silence. Both teens opened there mouth to talk.

"Sam, I-"

"Danny, I-"

They both blushed and let out a small laugh.

"You first," Sam commanded.

"Well, I just…" He fumbled. What had he been meaning to say? Now seemed like the perfect time to tell her how he felt and how sick he was without her…but he couldn't. "I guess I wanted to apologize for…well, reading your mind without permission." Even as he spoke the words he knew how stupid they sounded.

"Danny," she laughed, "If it wasn't for you, I would have been stuck in that…._place_ forever."

Danny saw fear flash in her eyes.

"You remember it, don't you?" he realized.

She smiled slightly, throwing herself down on the bed. "Yeah, unfortunately. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I was terrified I'd get stuck there again or that maybe this was the dream and that was reality…and if I feel asleep here, it would be like I was waking up there."

Danny hoped up onto his usual position on Sam's dresser. "You shouldn't worry. That could _never_ be reality. Tucker and I would never let it happen. We're your best friends and we'll _always_ be there for you, no matter what." Needlessly to say, he felt a little corny saying it, but he didn't care; it was the truth.

"Yeah," she said, "I know." She stood back up from the bed and approached her dresser shyly, one arm crossed over her waist rubbed the other nervously as she kept her gaze focused on the ground. "I…I…Last night, I saw all you did….you saved my life, Danny. And, well..." She stopped, leaning forward timidly, she stood on her toes to reach her friend, and kissed him lightly on lips. Her eyes closed and she let her lips linger for a second before she pulled back. "Thanks."

_Do it **now**_, Danny thought. _Tell her_. "Sam…when I thought I had lost…_I_…" He couldn't find accurate words to express how he had felt. He didn't have to.

"I know Danny," Sam cut in quickly, laughing a little as she recalled the nightmare where her best friend had died. "Trust me Danny…I know."

"So…what now?" He asked, his courage suddenly fading.

Sam shrugged, disappointed at Danny's response, "I guess everything goes back to normal."

Danny looked away, downtrodden. "Yeah. I guess so."

He hoped off the dresser and proceeded to the door. Sam watched him go. What else could she do?

Danny felt similarly. Every muscle in his body was fighting the urge to turn back around. But if there was one thing Danny learned from this whole thing, it's that you have to face your fears head on. He turned around.

"No," he said, voice full of courage and conviction.  "I don't want everything to go back to normal, Sam. Normal's just not good enough. Tucker was right. When I thought I might lose you…I did go crazy. You were _all_ I could think about. I couldn't get you out of my head…"

He stopped; he was straying away from the point.

"You know what, forget it Sam. I love you," he admitted breathlessly, laughing slightly at his own daring. "_I love you_."

He approached her again, this time rather quickly, and kissed her forcefully on the lips.

She breathed in sharply in surprise and instinctively pushed him back.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Danny apologized, eyes wide with sincere remorse, "I'm sorry! I should have-"

But Sam silenced his stuttering with a kiss of her own. Only a bright flash drew them apart.

"Uh…aahhhuhhh…uh?" Danny fumbled, face blushing red.

Tucker smirked from the door way, fanning a Polaroid picture in his hand.  

"Don't you just love happy endings?"

AN: I sure do! ;D That was basically what this chapter was about, giving the story a happy ending. I hope it didn't disappoint you, but I hadn't intended this chapter to have much substance, just to wrap things up. So if you hated it, I'm so sorry! Ignore it! Pretend it never existed! I love you!!!! If you loved it, hurray!!! I love _you!_ I'm definitely sad to see this story go since you've all been so kind (thank you, thank you, thank you! I love yoooouu!) but I'm hooked on DP so there'll definitely be some more DP fics to come! :D

Until then, a thousand, million, infinite thanks, I love you all!

Best wishes and warmest regards,

Your humble, dedicated servant,

Soragirl


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